Tool for installing split valve spring retainers on valve stems



May 2, 1967 J. T. CLARK 3,316,623

TOOL FOR INSTALLING SPLIT VALVE SPRING RETAINERS ON VALVE STEMS Filed Juiy 12, 1965 i A v l7 Jo ,3; I a m 30' 2/ w g X /3 20 3 H V M J 1 ,4 V W V Y 'I y :E H; I 7

fg E1 jig 1E] INVENTOR. By Jamar TCLAFK ATTOIQ/VE) United States Patent 3,316,623 TOOL FOR INSTALLING SPLIT VALVE SPRING RETAINERS N VALVE STEMS James T. Clark, Fort Morgan, C0lo., assignor to Clark- Featlier Manufacturing Co., Fort Morgan, Colo. Filed July 12, 1965, Ser. No. 471,204 1 Claim. (Cl. 29249) The springs on the intake and exhaust valves of conventional internal combustion engines act against spring washers which are detachably locked to the stems of the valves by means of split, conical retainers which interfit the spring washers and engage circumferential grooves in the stem of the valve to retain the spring washer in place against the expansive pressure of the spring. In certain types of engines the valve stems and the stem-surrounding springs are positioned in indentations or sockets in the block or cylinder head of the engine so that it is exceedingly difficult to reach the stems and springs and properly position the retainers in operating position when installing the valve assemblies in the engine.

Tools have been designed for the positioning split spring retainers on valve stems but these prior tools move the retainer halves laterally onto the stems and cannot be used where the stems are deep-set in the engine block due to lack of space about the stems. Briefly, this invention comprises an elongated, stick-like handle tube, having an axially-aligned, depressible plunger projecting from one extremity, which can be readily and axially inserted into a valve indentation in an engine block to position the plunger in resilient axial alignment with a valve stem. The handle tube is provided with two spring-loaded, pocketed, clamping jaws for holding the concave sides of the two halves of a split retainer against the opposite sides of the plunger with the axes of the halves aligned with the axis of the plunger so that when said handle tube is pressed forwardly over said plunger said halves will be slid forwardly on said plunger and longitudinally over said stem.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a tool for installing valve spring retainers in an internal combustion engine which can be used to instantly and effortlessly position the conventional split, conical valve spring retainers in their proper operating position in the valve assemblies regardless of whether the assemblies are in the open or in a deeply countersunk position in the engine.

Other objects and advantages reside in the detail construction of the invention, which is designed for simplicity, economy, and efficiency. These will become more apparent from the following description.

In the following detailed description of the invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawing which forms a part hereof. Like numerals refer to like parts in all views of the drawing and throughout the description.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the improved valve spring retainer tool;

FIG. 2 is a front end elevational view thereof;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 3-3, FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the tool partially broken away to illustrate the position of conventional retainer therein;

FIG. 5 is a front end elevational view of the tool as it would appear with the retainer therein;

FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 are fragmentary sectional views, to be later described, illustrating the use of the valve spring retainer tool upon a conventional engine valve assembly; and

FIGS. 9 andlO are enlarged side and end elevational views, respectively, of a half cone, two of which are placed together to form a conventional valve spring retainer.

3,316,623 Patented May 2, 1967 For the purpose of describing the use of this invention, typical parts of a conventional internal combustion engine valve assembly are designated by numerals in FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 as follows: engine block or head 10, valve seat 11, valve head 12, valve stem 13, valve stem retainer grooves 14, stern guide bushing 15, valve spring 16, spring washer 17, conical-split-spring-retainer 18. Such a conventional retainer is formed of two similar halves, such as illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 10, each having internal, groove-engaging ridges 34. The spring washer 17 contains an axially-positioned, conical socket 36 for receiving the two halves of the retainer 18.

On some types of engines the stem 15, the spring 16, the washer 17 and the retainer 18 are positioned in a relatively deep, cylindrical, countersunk socket 12 in the block 10 which makes it exceedingly ditficult to install the retainer 18 in place with the tools such as usually used for this purpose. With the use of the tool of this invention, however, the installation can be rapidly and accurately accomplished. I

The improved valve spring retainer tool comprises an elongated handle tube 20, from the forward extremity of which is slidably mounted plunger 21 projects. The .inward and outward movements of the plunger 21 in the forward extremity of the handle tube 20 are limited by a reduced diameter portion on the plunger which forms an elongated, cylindrical, limiting cavity 22 in the circumference of the plunger into which an indentation 23, formed in the handle tube, projects.

' The forward extremity of the plunger normally projects forwardly from the handle tube, the projection being limited by the length of the limiting cavity 22. The forward extremity is provided with a centering cavity 24, to receive the outer extremity of the valve stem 13 and align the plunger with the stem when the tool is in use. The plunger corresponds in diameter to the diameter of the valve stem 13 and is constantly and resiliently urged forward, to the limit of the cavity 22, by means of'a relatively light compression spring 25. The spring 25 projects rearwardly from an axially-positioned spring socket 26 in the plunger into compressive contact with a diametricallypositioned hinge rivet 27 which extends through the handle tube 20 rearwardly of the plunger.

Two elongated, arcuately-channeled clamping jaws 28 are fitted against opposite sides of the handle tube. Each of the clamping jaws is provided, adjacent its rear extremity, with projecting hinge ears 29 which are pivotally mounted on the projecting opposite extremities of the hinge rivet 27. The rear extremities of the clamping jaws are arched outwardly from the handle tube to form finger levers 30 which are constantly and resiliently urged apart by means of a relatively heavy compression spring 31 extending diametrically through the handle tube and projecting oppositely outward therefrom into compressive contact with the finger levers 30.

The major portion of the length of each clamping jaw 28 is straight and the straight portions normally fit snugly against the opposite sides of the handle tube under the bias of the spring 31. The forward extremities of the jaws extend forwardly from the handle tube on opposite sides of the projecting plunger and are comically-pocketed, as shown at 32, enabling one half of the spring retainer 18 to be placed in each pocket 32, with the smaller diameter forwardly, so that the two halves of the retainer will be resiliently pressed against opposite sides of the plunger by the expansive action of the spring 31 as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. Thumb and finger pressure on the finger levers 30 facilitates placement of the retainer halves on the plunger and in the jaw pockets 32. Outwardly-extending terminal flanges 33 are formed on the forward extremities of the jaw pockets 32.

To assemble a valve, the spring 16 is positioned in the I socket 19 about the valve stem 13 and the valve spring washer 17 is pressed against the spring by any suitable spring compressing tool so as to expose the extremity of the valve stem, as shown in FIG. 6. The compression may be accomplished in any desired manner. As illustrated, a tubular spacing sleeve 35 is positioned in the countersunk socket 19 and forced against the washer 17, such as by means of a conventional C-type spring compressor, to fully compress the spring as shown in FIG. 6.

The plunger 21 of the retainer tool, with the retainer halves in place, as shown in FIG. 4, is placed against the end of the valve stem so that the latter enters the centering cavity 24 to hold the plunger in stationary alignment with the sem. The handle tube 20 is now forced forwardly over the stationary plunger 21 so as to slide the retainer halves onto the valve stem, against the bias of the plunger spring 25, until the groove-engaging ridges 34 snap into the retaining grooves 14 to close the halves and form the complete retainer 18 on the stem as shown in FIG. 7. I The spacing sleeve 35 is now released to allow the spring 16 to force the spring washer 17 outwardly against the terminal flanges 33 of the jaws 28 so as to force the latter outwardly on the closed retainer 18 while the conical socket 36 in the washer 17 simultaneously moves outwardly over the retainer to fixedly grip it in the closed position on the stem as shown in the assembled position of FIG. 8.

While a specific form of the invention has been described and illustrated herein, it is to be understood that the same may be varied within the scope of the appended claim, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

A valve spring retainer tool for use in placing a split spring retainer on a valve stem comprising:

(a) an elongated handle;

(-b) a plunger slidably mounted in and projecting forwardly from said handle;

(c) a spring-loaded gripping jaw pivotally mounted on and positioned at each side of said handle, the forward extremities of said jaws being positioned at opposite sides of said plunger;

(d) a pocket formed in each of said forward extremities facing each other and adapted to receive and hold the halves of said split retainer against opposite sides of said plunger so that when said handle is moved forwardly relative to said plunger said halves will be slid forwardly on and from said plunger;

(e) a compression spring in said handle acting to urge said plunger forwardly from said handle;

(15) a reduced diameter portion on said plunger intermediate the ends thereof;

(g) an inwardly directed projection on said handle extending into said reduced diameter portion to limit longitudinal movement of said plunger relative to said handle to the lentgh of said reduced diameter portion;

(h) a pivot rivet extending completely through said handle intermediate said jaws and adjacent the rear extremities of the latter;

(i) hinge ears formed on said jaws and pivotally engaging the opposite extremities of said pivot rivet to form the pivotal mounting for said jaws;

(j) outwardly arched rear extremities on said gripping jaws forming finger levers thereon which when swung inwardly toward said handle cause the forward extremities of said jaws to move away from said plunger; and

(k) a second compression spring extending laterally of and completely through said handle, said second spring being compressed by said finger levers.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Girad 29-249 Clark 29-249 Hildenbrand 29-249 

